Submitted by Renata Lopes (renatasil82@gmail.com) on 2017-05-15T14:59:59Z No. of bitstreams: 1 marcoshenriquefonsecaribeiro.pdf: 12873424 bytes, checksum: 2b2b91fd2a9726856a0486afa760fe2c (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Adriana Oliveira (adriana.oliveira@ufjf.edu.br) on 2017-05-17T16:01:12Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 marcoshenriquefonsecaribeiro.pdf: 12873424 bytes, checksum: 2b2b91fd2a9726856a0486afa760fe2c (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-05-17T16:01:12Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 marcoshenriquefonsecaribeiro.pdf: 12873424 bytes, checksum: 2b2b91fd2a9726856a0486afa760fe2c (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-10-03 / A Tomografia por Impedância Elétrica (TIE) consiste em uma técnica onde imagens são construídas a partir da injeção de uma corrente elétrica em determinado meios, seguida da leitura de valores de potencial elétrico em pontos do contorno externo de tal domínio. Desta maneira, conhecendo-se ou estimando-se a condutividade elétrica de regiões internas ao meio, pode-se inferir aspectos geométricos da composição do mesmo. Trabalhos na literatura aplicam esta técnica ao contexto de obtenção de imagens do tórax humano, com objetivo de estimar a geometria das cavidades cardíacas de um determinado paciente. O objetivo final de estudo deste trabalho, dentro do contexto de aplicação da TIE à obtenção de cavidades cardíacas, é propor uma metodologia para a estimação da Fração de Ejeção Cardíaca, ou simplesmente Fração de Ejeção (FE), que consiste em medir o percentual de volume de sangue expulso dos ventrículos ao final de um ciclo de batimento do coração. Este trabalho visa evoluir outros trabalhos já existentes que modelam o problema acima descrito como sendo um problema inverso, de otimização, onde se pretende minimizar a diferença entre valores de potencial elétrico medidos e valores simulados por modelos computacionais. A evolução se dá em níveis diferentes. No primeiro nível, é feito um avanço sobre as técnicas de otimização para a resolução do problema inverso, em sua formulaçãobidimensional. Paratal, épropostaumametaheurísticaqueauxiliamétodosde buscanaobtençãodevaloresmaisacurados. Estametaheurísticaéapresentadaemversões sequencial e paralela. São apresentados resultados computacionais de testes realizados para este primeiro nível. Em um segundo nível, é feita a modelagem em três dimensões das mesmas abordagens já encontradas na literatura, que, para a aplicação específica da determinação da FE, até então estão limitadas a modelos bidimensionais. Assim, todo o problema é revisto para uma nova proposta de modelagem, que inclui a criação de modelos geométricos tridimensionais para as regiões de interesse do problema. Como principal contribuição do trabalho neste segundo nível, encontra-se um esquema de parametrização das malhas de polígonos que modelam ventrículos do coração, de forma que se tenha uma maneira compacta de representar as mesmas e, ao mesmo tempo, diminuindo o custo computacional do método de otimização por meio de drástica redução do número de variáveis do problema. Por fim, também é realizado um estudo preliminar da sensibilidade da técnica à presença de ruídos nos dados de entrada. / The Electrical Impedance Tomography (EIT) consists in a technique where images are constructed from the measurements of the electrical potential in some points on the external boundary of some specific domain, caused by the injection of an electrical current in such domain. This way, knowing or estimating the electrical conductivity of some regions inside the domain, geometric aspects of the composition of that domain can be inferred. Works in literature apply this technique to the context of obtaining images from the human thorax, with the objective of estimating the geometry of some cardiac cavities of a specific patient. The final goal of this work, inside the context of the obtention of cardiac cavities, is to propose a methodology for estimating the Cardiac Ejection Fraction, orsimplyEjectionFraction(EF),whichconsistsinmeasuringthepercentualofthevolume of blood expelled from the ventricles at the end of a heart beat cicle. This work intends to evolute previous works, that models the above mentioned problem as an inverse problem, an optimization problem, where the intention is to minimize the difference between the values of measured electrical potentials and the values obtained through simulation using computational models. This evolution occurs in different levels. In the first level, is performedanimprovementoverthepre-existentoptimizationtechniquesforthesolutionof theinverseproblem,inatwodimensionalversion. Forthis,isproposedametaheuristicthat assistssearchmethodstowardstheobtentionofmoreaccuratedvalues. Suchmetaheuristic is presented in sequential and parallel versions. Computational results for performed tests for this level are presented. In a second level, a three dimensional modeling of the same approaches found in literature is done. Those approaches, for the specific application of determining the EF, are so far limited to two dimensional models. Therefore, the whole problem is reviewed in order to propose a new model, which includes the creation of three dimensional geometric models for the regions of interest of the problem. As the main contribution of this work in that second level, there is a parameterization schema of the polygon meshes that model heart ventricles, so that it provides a compact way of representing such meshes, and, at the same time, a way of reducing the computational cost of the optimization method by means of a drastic reduction of the number of variables of the problem. Finally, a preliminary study of the sensibility of the technique to the presence of noise in the input data is also performed.

Cette thèse porte sur le développement de méthodes de Monte-Carlo pour calculer des représentations Feynman-Kac impliquant des opérateurs sous forme divergence avec un coefficient de diffusion constant par morceaux. Les méthodes proposées sont des variantes de la marche sur les sphères à l'intérieur des zones avec un coefficient de diffusion constant et des techniques de différences finies stochastiques pour traiter les conditions aux interfaces aussi bien que les conditions aux limites de différents types. En combinant ces deux techniques, on obtient des marches aléatoires dont le score calculé le long du chemin fourni un estimateur biaisé de la solution de l'équation aux dérivées partielles considérée. On montre que le biais global de notre algorithme est en général d'ordre deux par rapport au pas de différences finies. Ces méthodes sont ensuite appliquées au problème direct lié à la tomographie par impédance électrique pour la détection de tumeurs. Une technique de réduction de variance est également proposée dans ce cadre. On traite finalement du problème inverse de la détection de tumeurs à partir de mesures de surfaces à l'aide de deux algorithmes stochastiques basés sur une représentation paramétrique de la tumeur ou des tumeurs sous forme d'une ou plusieurs sphères. De nombreux essais numériques sont proposés et montrent des résultats probants dans la localisation des tumeurs. / This thesis deals with the development of Monte-Carlo methods to compute Feynman-Kac representations involving divergence form operators with a piecewise constant diffusion coefficient. The proposed methods are variations around the walk on spheres method inside the regions with a constant diffusion coefficient and stochastic finite differences techniques to treat the interface conditions as well as the different kinds of boundary conditions. By combining these two techniques, we build random walks which score computed along the walk gives us a biased estimator of the solution of the partial differential equation we consider. We prove that the global bias is in general of order two with respect to the finite difference step. These methods are then applied for tumour detection to the forward problem in electrical impedance tomography. A variance reduction technique is also proposed in this case. Finally, we treat the inverse problem of tumours detection from surface measurements using two stochastics algorithms based on a spherical parametric representation of the tumours. Many numerical tests are proposed and show convincing results in the localization of the tumours.

This thesis deals with a design of a power supply for a measuring equipment for a geophysical mapping intended to do a reconstruction of an electrical impedance of a ground environment of water reservoirs. The power source is going to be used for laboratory measurements and for outdoor experiments. The thesis describes the selection of suitable components, equipment design and testing. The theoretical part explains the functions of used components and the principle of an electrical impedance tomography. The conclusion summarizes the properties of the proposed solution and evaluates the final product.

Disertační práce, jež má teoretický charakter, je zaměřena na vylepšení a výzkum algoritmů pro zobrazování vnitřní struktury vodivých objektů, hlavně biologických tkání a orgánů pomocí elektrické impedanční tomografie (EIT). V práci je formulován teoretický rámec EIT. Dále jsou prezentovány a porovnány algoritmy pro řešení inverzní úlohy, které zajišťují efektivní rekonstrukci prostorového rozložení elektrických vlastností ve zkoumaném objektu a jejích zobrazení. Hlavní myšlenka vylepšeného algoritmu, který je založen na deterministickém přístupu, spočívá v zavedení dodatečných technik: level set a nebo fuzzy filtru. Kromě toho, je ukázána metoda 2-D rekonstrukce rozložení konduktivity z jediného komponentu magnetického pole a to konkrétně z-tové složky magnetického toku. Byly vytvořeny numerické modely biologické tkáně s určitým rozložení admitivity (nebo konduktivity) pro otestování těchto algoritmů. Výsledky získané z rekonstrukcí pomocí vylepšených algoritmů jsou ukázány a porovnány.

<div>Laser-to-composite interactions are becoming increasingly common in diverse applications such as diagnostics, fabrication and machining, and weapons systems. Lasers are capable of not only performing non-contact diagnostics, but also inducing seemingly imperceptible structural damage to materials. In safety-critical venues like aerospace, automotive, and civil infrastructure where composites are playing an increasingly prominent role, it is desirable to have means of sensing laser exposure on a composite material. Self-sensing materials may be a powerful method of addressing this need. Herein, we present an exploratory study on the potential of using changes in electrical measurements as a way of detecting laser exposure to a carbon nanofiber (CNF)-modified glass fiber/epoxy laminate. CNFs were dispersed in liquid epoxy resin prior to laminate fabrication via hand layup. The dispersed CNFs form a three-dimensional conductive network which allows for electrical measurements to be taken from the traditionally insulating glass fiber/epoxy material system. It is expected that damage to the network will disrupt the electrical pathways, thereby causing the material to exhibit slightly higher resistance. To test laser sensing capabilities, a resistance baseline of the CNF-modified glass fiber/epoxy specimens was first established before laser exposure. These specimens were then exposed to an infra-red laser operating at 1064 nm, 35 kHz, and pulse duration of 8 ns. The specimens were irradiated for a total of 20 seconds (4 exposures each at 5 seconds). The resistances of the specimens were then measured again post-ablation. In this study, it was found that for 1.0 wt.% CNF by weight the average resistance increased by about 18 percent. However, this values varied for specimens with different weight fractions. This established that the laser was indeed causing damage to the specimen sufficient to evoke a change in electrical properties. In order to expand on this result, electrical impedance tomography (EIT) was employed for localization of laser exposures of 1, 3, and 5 seconds on a larger specimen, a 3.25” square plate. EIT was used to measure the changes in conductivity after each exposure. EIT was not only successful in detecting damage that was virtually imperceptible to the human-eye, but it also accurately localized the exposure sites. The post-ablation conductivity of the exposure sites decreased in a manner that was comparable to the resistance increase obtained during prior testing. Based on this preliminary study, this research could lead to the development of a real-time exposure detection and tracking system for the measurement, fabrication, and defense industries.</div>

La capacité de la force de Lorentz à relier un déplacement mécanique à un courant électrique présente un intérêt certain pour l'acoustique médicale, et trois applications ont été étudiées dans cette thèse. Dans la première partie de ce travail, un hydrophone a été développé pour effectuer des champs de vitesse acoustique. Cet hydrophone était constitué d'un fil de cuivre vibrant dans un champ magnétique. Un modèle a été élaboré pour déterminer une relation entre la pression acoustique et le courant électrique mesure, qui est induit par force de Lorentz lorsque le fil vibre dans un champ acoustique. Un prototype a ensuite été conçu et sa résolution spatiale, sa réponse fréquentielle, sa sensibilité, sa résistance et sa réponse directionnelle ont été examinées. Une méthode d'imagerie appelée Tomographie d'Impedance Electrique par Force de Lorentz a aussi été étudiée. Dans cette méthode, un tissu biologique est déplacé par ultrasons dans un champ magnétique, ce qui induit un courant électrique par force de Lorentz. L'impédance électrique du tissu peut ensuite être déduite de la mesure du courant. Cette technique a été appliquée pour réaliser des images d'un fantôme de gélatine, d'un muscle de bœuf, et d'une lésion thermique dans un échantillon de poulet. Cela a montré que la méthode est potentiellement utile pour fournir un contraste supplémentaire à des images ultrasonores classiques. Enfin, cette thèse a démontré que des ondes de cisaillement peuvent être générées dans des tissus mous par force de Lorentz. Cela a été réalisé en appliquant un courant électrique par deux électrodes dans un solide mou place dans un champ magnétique. Des ondes de cisaillement ont été observées dans des échantillons de gélatine et de foie. La vitesse des ondes de cisaillement a été utilisée pour calculer l'élasticité et leur source pour cartographier la conductivité électrique des échantillons / The ability of the Lorentz force to link a mechanical displacement to an electrical current presents a strong interest for medical acoustics, and three applications were studied in this thesis. In the first part of this work, a hydrophone was developed for mapping the particle velocity of an acoustic field. This hydrophone was constructed using a thin copper wire and an external magnetic field. A model was elaborated to determine the relationship between the acoustic pressure and the measured electrical current, which is induced by Lorentz force when the wire vibrates in the acoustic field of an ultrasound transducer. The built prototype was characterized and its spatial resolution, frequency response, sensitivity, robustness and directivity response were investigated. An imaging method called Lorentz Force Electrical Impedance Tomography was also studied. In this method, a biological tissue is vibrated by ultrasound in a magnetic field, which induces an electrical current by Lorentz force. The electrical impedance of the tissue can be deduced from the measurement of the current. This technique was applied for imaging a gelatin phantom, a beef muscle sample, and a thermal lesion in a chicken breast sample. This showed the method may be useful for providing additional contrast to conventional ultrasound imaging. Finally, this thesis demonstrated that shear waves can be generated in soft tissues using Lorentz force. This work was performed by applying an electrical current with two electrodes in a soft solid placed in a magnetic field. Shear waves were observed in gelatin phantom and liver sample. The speed of the shear waves were used to compute elasticity and their source to map the electrical conductivity of the samples

This doctoral thesis proposes a new algorithm for the reconstruction of impedance images in monitored objects. The algorithm eliminates the spatial resolution problems present in existing reconstruction methods, and, with respect to the monitored objects, it exploits both the partial knowledge of configuration and the material composition. The discussed novel method is designed to recognize certain significant fields of interest, such as material defects or blood clots and tumors in biological images. The actual reconstruction process comprises two phases; while the former stage is focused on industry-related images, with the aim to detect defects in conductive materials, the latter one concentrates on biomedical applications. The thesis also presents a description of the numerical model used to test the algorithm. The testing procedure was centred on the resulting impedivity value, influence of the regularization parameter, initial value of the numerical model impedivity, and effect exerted by noise on the voltage electrodes upon the overall reconstruction results. Another issue analyzed herein is the possibility of reconstructing impedance images from components of the magnetic flux density measured outside the investigated object. The given magnetic field is generated by a current passing through the object. The created algorithm for the reconstruction of impedance images is modeled on the proposed algorithm for EIT-based reconstruction of impedance images from voltage. The algoritm was tested for stability, influence of the regularization parameter, and initial conductivity. From the general perspective, the thesis describes the methodology for both magnetic field measurement via NMR and processing of the obtained data.